The IM Scott School Sidewalk Gardens are unique, curated native plant gardens on both street faces of the California historic landmark IM Scott School (the oldest surviving public school in San Francisco), on Minnesota and Tennessee Streets just north of 22nd Street in the Dogpatch Historic District.

In an effort spearheaded in 2013 by neighbor and current GBD Board member Janet Carpinelli, with funds secured by GreenTrustSF and the approval of the San Francisco Unified School district, the gardens replaced large areas of concrete sidewalk as it was being repaired by the City. GreenTrustSF then worked with the SF Dept of Urban Forestry to fill the new sidewalk gardens with local California native plants. The goal for these “walk-along” gardens is that they continue to grow and evolve to serve as a teaching garden - a learning experience in appreciating native plants and a garden space in which to observe native bees and other insects and birds visiting the gardens for food, shelter and rest.

The GBD adopted the gardens at the organization’s formation. The GBD has added boulders and infill plantings, provided a brick edging and a through path near the school entrance on Tennessee. GBD’s garden maintenance and janitorial crews visit this site weekly to water, prune, and clear debris from the gardens.